This book is for everyone! The author includes everything from well-told stories about Big Hole River pioneers to pointers on how to fish this beautiful blue ribbon trout stream. The book is a great read and the pictures are outstanding. Anybody that loves Montana, or has ever visited the Big Hole area, needs this book!

Pat Munday has authored the newest and most comprehensive account of the Big Hole River in Montana, its people and its culture. This is a large coffee table book with more than 60 outstanding photographs, 22 historical black and white pictures, sketches and maps. His account of the homesteaders, conservationists and how this river needs our attention, care and nurturing, is most timely as we gear up to celebrate the anniversary of Lewis and Clark's new frontier.

This is a treasure.

If you want to know the story of Montana, this is where you start. It's written by the best journalist-writer who ever lived in the state (excluding Bud Guthrie, of course, who chose fiction instead). It must be understood that it is not a "definitive history" as Howard himself stated, but a personal narrative of what matters. In the past two decades, a cottage industry of Howard-bashing has emerged in Montana, by historians eager to establish their own reputations. Yes, some of what Howard wrote was incorrect. Other aspects of his writings now seem outmoded (the colonial economy thing). But to say modern history proves Joe Howard was wrong is like saying Lewis and Clark are disproven by Rand-McNally. Howard was the visionary who showed the way to what Montana should and could be. But 50 years later, this remains the best non-fiction book that will ever be written about Montana.

I first read this book back in the early 60's when I was stationed in Montana. I found it full of facts that you don't find in history books. The characters are real and believable; makes you wish you had a time machine to go back and witness the action. A must for history buffs.

Walter Cooper's years in the West are recounted by him in a very modest manner, yet his adventures are thrilling in every way. I could not stop reading until the narrative ended suddenly. The young scout seems to be up to every encounter, whether it is with a mountain lion or an Indian. Highly recommended.

This book is a fast-moving adventure story and will appeal to those who may have read the Dover book "Captured by the Indians," one of my favorites.

EXCELLENT BOOK! I HAVE ACTUALLY VISITED THIS RANCH AND THE HISTORY THERE IS ONLY EXCEEDED BY THE BEAUTY!THE BOOK GIVES YOU THE FLAVOR OF THE REAL WEST AND YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME PERSON ONCE YOU TRULY EXPERIENCE THE WEST!!

This book tells how the first dude ranch in Montana got its start in the 1920's and the people behind its beginning. It includes happenings with some of the "dudes" and is illustrated with pictures of ranch hands and guests. Read what happened when the wranglers decided to stage a holdup on one of the trail rides. My husband received this book for his birthday, but my son who spent his summer as a wrangler at a dude ranch in Colorado, was the first to read it.

Looking forward to Jake's next adventure.

Excellent, entertaining reading for young adults. This and each title in the Jake Montana series provide exceptional insights into native American culture in an informative and entertaining manner. A modern day Hardy Boy Mystery series with spiritual and mystical elements.

Although short, this hilarious book of quotes will make any country girl laugh until she has tears in her eyes. Highly recommend for anyone who wants a good giggle!

From love to bring'in the cows in this book covers it. Full of the sassiest sayings and the best rules to live by, it will never let a gal down. "Don't try and drown your sorrows- they know how to swim!"

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favorite scene with hope-
confrontation with her father before walking out on him.

favorite scene with collin-
welcoming hope's father to the family.

favorite scene with hope and collin together-
at the labor day festival at the reservation.

The basic premise of The Outlaw Marriage is the old story of feuding families. Laurie Page does a wonderful job in this installment of the Montana Mavericks. Colin Kincaid and Hope Baxter develope an intense interest in each other. Unfortunately her father is continuing an old feud with the Kincaid family. Hope stays true to her father until she is faced with the truth of his hatred. Jordan Baxter will do anything to bring down the Kincaids. Colin tells Hope he will wait for her and he does. In the end happiness is found for everyone. The small side story of Jordan Baxter and Meg Reilly is a nice touch. Ms. Page does a nice job of weaving the current Montana Mavericks series with the original series of a couple of years ago. It is nice to hear the references to the central characters of that series.

This books gives great detail about the each river, best times to go, where the crowds are(n't), basically everything you would need to know. The author explains that many of Monatana's rivers are in the western end, with a few in the dry eastern side. Many rivers described are also Class I (on the river rating system). Keep in mind that Class I can cover alot of levels, including those that are almost Class II. (for you beginners, just because it's class I it's not as smooth as a lake).

I mainly bought this book for the Flathead River routes, but discovered so many more river. The book also mentions where to get detailed maps for certain river routes, including the Flathead.

If you've got lots of time, you can even explore the route Lewis and Clark took back in the early 1800's.

The authors are competent paddlers and good writers. This is a well organized book with an excellent format. It contains helpful hydrographs and good photos. The informations is dependable. If you desire to paddle a Montana river, this is the place to start. I highly recommend it as THE guide book to get for our state.

I enjoyed the descriptions of all the shows and appearances of Patsy Montana, but also a private look at the person, herself. There is a lot of history about country music and the effort put into it by Patsy Montana in keeping this type of music alive and going well. Many of her subjects bring back memories to me of when I was young and my parents had the radio on, especailly listening to the WLS Chicago National Barndance. Patsy knew so many of the stars of this radio era and shared lots of stories about them in this book. One doesn't realize all the thousands of miles that stars travel to entertain and especially back in the time when artists did not fly from one event to another. Many times it was an automobile and perhaps not a new one, at that, which carried them to shows.It makes me very happy to know her work is being carried into the new century by the next generation of country and western music artists. Ther are dozens and dozens of artists mentioned in the book, from Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson to LeAnn Rimes, the Dixie Chicks and all the wonderful entertainers through the years in between.

I just got my copy, and I can't put it down! This book takes the reader from Patsy's childhood, through her amazing rise to fame with her big hit, "I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart", and beyond. It goes behind the big headlines, and brings Patsy right into the room. The personal insights about life in California at the outset of WWII are particularly interesting. By today's standards, Patsy Montana's popularity in the 1940s would be astronomical, and it's high time for her story to be put in print. I'm so thrilled about this book! It's a must-read for every western music fan!

You get an overall sense of gloom from the peoples lives in the book, but I believe the author wants you to look deeper than just that. One story is basically the more the change, the more the things remain the same. Another looks at peoples strengths vs. weakness's and surprisingly where you will find them. And, finally, another looks at looking inside yourself. Among this, is the most beautiful and desriptive narrative of mother nature in all her glory. You can easily picture Exactly where and what he is talking about. It never fails that a few words thrown together will bring back memories of your own that you had long forgotten.

These stories are about something that no one else I know of is writing about. I can't make out what it is exactly. I'll leave lists of superlatives to professional book reviewers and just give you what for me is the bottom line -- this book is important